Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-27

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The pie charts below show how working adults in a particular country spent their time in 1958 and 2008.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

* Note: these aren’t the original diagrams given in the test, they were recreated for the purpose of demonstration.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The pie charts illustrate the percentages of of the day spent by working adults on certains activities in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, Working adults spent most time on their jobs, which is increased over time. Sleeping time takes 2nd place but it is significantly reduced in 2008. Spending time with friends and family reduced noticeabaly. While, playing sports has became popular in 2008.

In 1958, working took most share of the time spent in a day which was 33% on the other hand travelling to work accounted for only 2% of the time. Time spent on sleeping was almost same as working at 32%. Going out with friends and family was 19%. Relaxing at home was at 8%.

Now comming to 2008. Working still remains at the top at 42% with increased as compared to 1958 which was 33%. Sleeping time reduced to 25% while, relaxing at home jumed to 13%. Working Adults spent relativlely less time in 2008. Time spent on sports was a major surge.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important features, including the rise in working time from 33% to 42%, the fall in sleeping from 32% to 25%, and the decline in socialising. The overview also notes that working takes the largest share in both years. However, some key comparisons are incomplete: the 2008 figures for travelling to work and going out with friends or family are omitted, and the new sports category is mentioned without its 7% figure. The statement that sports “has became popular” is not supported by a comparison, since no 1958 sports figure is given. The claim that adults spent “relatively less time” in 2008 is unclear and conflicts with the rise in work and relaxing. Select and report the main changes more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate descriptions of the two years. This helps the reader follow the broad comparison. However, progression is weakened by abrupt or awkward transitions such as “Now comming to 2008,” and “While,” begins a fragment rather than linking a complete idea. Some connections are also unclear: “Working still remains at the top at 42% with increased as compared to 1958” combines the ranking and change awkwardly, while “Working Adults spent relativlely less time in 2008” does not clearly refer to a specific activity. Grouping related increases and decreases, and using straightforward links such as “by contrast” or “whereas,” would make the comparison more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing charts, including “accounted for,” “reduced,” “increased,” and “share,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range and control are limited by inaccurate or unnatural choices. “Working took most share” and “sleeping time takes 2nd place” are not natural collocations, while “a major surge” is vague without a figure and does not precisely describe the sports category. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “certains,” “noticeabaly,” “comming,” “jumed,” and “relativlely.” Aim for precise chart language such as “accounted for the largest proportion,” “fell to,” and “rose to,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentences, and the main figures are usually understandable. However, errors occur frequently in sentence construction and verb forms. For example, “which is increased over time” should use a past-tense form such as “which increased,” and “While, playing sports has became popular” is an incomplete clause with an incorrect verb form. “Working still remains at the top at 42% with increased” also lacks a grammatical structure for expressing the comparison. Articles and phrasing are sometimes inaccurate, as in “took most share.” Use complete sentences, keep past-tense reporting consistent, and check that each clause has a clear subject and correctly formed verb.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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